A growing wave of fake occupational health and safety (OHS) training certificates is raising serious concerns among safety professionals and legal experts across Ontario, with dozens of fraudulent credentials uncovered in recent weeks.

Roger Tickner, president of Tickner & Associates and Tickner Brooks Professional Corporation, reports that the problem is “much bigger than we thought,” with his clients discovering more than 20 fake certificates in just the past two weeks. “We’re finding a lot of fake cards where workers are photocopying or producing these cards through use of the web and the Internet,” Tickner said in an interview. “They’re presenting these cards as though they’re being trained.”

Tickner’s warning, first posted on LinkedIn, quickly gained traction among safety professionals, with dozens more examples reported within days. He has since notified the Ministry of Labour and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). “There’s a significant exposure to employers that aren’t paying attention. I would say the majority of employers just accept cards at face value and there’s a real danger to that,” Tickner said.

Legal and technological challenges

Legal experts echo the call for vigilance. Ryan Conlin, a lawyer and partner at Stringer LLP, emphasized that verifying the authenticity of training cards is “an important due diligence requirement” and should be a standard part of every safety program at organizations that accepts such credentials.

The problem is not limited to physical forgeries. Darcy Chalifoux, senior partner at Cognisense, highlighted a new and troubling trend: the use of artificial intelligence to fraudulently complete online training and assessments. “In the last few months, we’ve uncovered a surge in certificates that were actually ‘earned’ by AI completing the training modules and assessments on behalf of the worker,” Chalifoux commented. “This new threat goes beyond fake cards — it undermines the entire verification chain. The industry needs stronger identity capture and real-time monitoring to ensure that the person taking the online training is the person being certified.”

Enforcement and industry response

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development confirmed that under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), it is an offence to knowingly provide false information to a ministry inspector, including a false training record or certificate. “The ministry reviews and investigates all reports of fraudulent safety certificates. Inspectors make enforcement decisions based on the conditions and evidence found at each workplace.

Individuals convicted of knowingly providing false information may face fines of up to $500,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both,” the ministry stated. Employers are responsible for ensuring their workers have valid, ministry-approved training, such as Working at Heights, and can verify certificates with approved providers. Suspected fraudulent activity can be reported online or via the Health & Safety Contact Centre.

The WSIB clarified that the ministry oversees health and safety training in Ontario, except for First Aid certification. Anyone suspecting a fraudulent First Aid certificate is advised to contact the police.

Tickner is now working with industry partners and technology experts to develop a digital verification system for OHS credentials. The goal is to create a database where only validated training can be entered, helping employers confirm the authenticity of certificates before allowing workers on site. He also supports broader national harmonization of safety standards and credential verification, though he acknowledges the legal and logistical challenges involved.

Accountability and the path forward

As the industry awaits further guidance, Tickner warns that companies who fail to verify credentials could face serious consequences. “If you accept everything at face value, you could likely be held accountable for allowing untrained workers to perform the work in violation of our laws. And if someone is seriously injured, the consequences may be more severe than you think,” he said.

With the issue now firmly in the spotlight, safety professionals are urging employers to tighten their verification processes and prioritize worker safety over expediency.